Folding lamp for automobile rear seats



Feb. 16, 1932. R. H. DIETRICH 1,345,401

FOLDING LAMP FOR AUTOMOBILE REAR SEATS Filed July 14, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l I NVEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Feb. 16, 1932. R. H. DIETRICH 1,845,401

FOLDING LAMP FOR AUTOMOBILE REAR SEATS Filed July 14, 19550 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIE--3- -z f1E- E INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAYMOND H. DIETBICH, OI DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB T FRANKLIN DEVELOP- KENT COEPOBATiON, OI SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK FOLDING LAMP FOB AUTOMOBILE REAR SEATS Appllcation filed July 14, 1930. Serial No. 487,728. 7

This invention has for its object, a reading lamp for vehicle seats, particularly the rear seats of automobiles, which lamp 18 normally concealed in the back of the seat, and

shiftable, when needed, into a position out of the back, or the upholstery thereof, into a position above the back of the seat, or above the shoulders of the occupants of the seat.

It further has for its object, such a reading lamp so combined with the folding arm rest in the center of the rear seat, that the lamp is normally concealed by the folding arm rest.

The invention consists in the novel features 16 and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference IS had to the accompanying drawings, in WhlCll like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 isa perspective view of the rear seat of an automobile provided with this reading lamp.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view throughthe recess, the seat back, or the u holstery thereof in which the lam is norma ly located, taken on line 22 of igure 3.

Figure 3 is a face view of parts seen in Figure 2.

Figures 4 and 5 are views similar to Figure 2 showing other forms of switch mechanism for controlling the lamp.

1 designates the seat bottom, and 2 the seat back of an automobile seat.

3 designates the folding arm rest which is pivoted at its lower end at 4 and moved into and out of an upright recess 5 in the back, or the upholstery thereof, it normally being flush with the back, and being movable downwardly and forwardly over the seat bottom to form an arm rest, and dividing the seat.

6 designates an electric lam carried by a suitable support as an arm or liracket 7 normally located in the recess 5 and movable out of the recess upwardly into a position above the seat back, or above the shoulder level of the occupants of the seat.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, the support or bracket 7 is pivoted at 8 to a fixed support 9 in the recess 5, and is normally arranged in the dotted line position Figure 2, and movable into the full line position about the pivot 8. The arm or lamp bracket 7 is usually formed of sheet metal and is flat, it carrying a suitable lamp socket at its outer end in which the lamp 6 is mounted. It is also provided with a hood 10 at its outer end, over the lamp 6.

The service wires for the lamp extend along the arm 7 and are concealed in a suitable conduit 11. The flow of current to the lamp is controlled by a normally open switch 12 which is held open by the arm or bracket 7 when folded into the recess 5. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, this switch 12 is provided with a push button 13 arranged in the path of the arm 7 to be depressed thereby when the arm is folded into the recess 5, the push button having spring means not shown, tending to move it outwardly and hence, close the switch when the lamp and its support is swung out of the recess.

The lamp support is held in its position assumed when in the recess, that is, the dotted line position Figure 2, and in its operative position when swung out of the re cess, that is, the full line position, Fi ure 2, by spring means as a spring 14 coilei' about a shaft 15 carried'by bracekt arms 16 suitably mounted on a transverse frame member 17 in the recess, one arm 18 of the spring thrusting against the frame member 17, and the other arm 19 thrusting against a lever element 20 pivoted at 21 to the lamp bracket 7 eccentric to the pivot 8 and having an angular arm 22 extending around the pivot 8 to the rear side of the lamp bracket arm. The pivot 21 is supported by a bracket 20 secured to the lamp bracket arm 7 above the pivot 8, when the lamp bracket is in its elevated position out of the recess 5. lVhen the lamp bracket is folded into the recess, the spring arm 19 assumes the position shown in dotted lines Figure 2 and hence, tends to pull the lamp bracket into the recess and hold it against the push button 13. When the lamp bracket is swung to full position out of the recess, the spring arm 19 acts on the angular arm 20 to move it on its pivot 21 and tends to hold the lamp bracket in its open position.

In Figure 4, the lamp bracket 7* is shown as provided with a plug 24 extending therefrom and forentering a socket 25 when the hracketf' is in its elevated positio service .1 having terminals connected in the wires and the plug being connected in circuit The plug coacts-'. =-wi=th a"? spring pressed wall poppet 26m .tlie.socket,-

with the lamp;

which holds the lamp in its elevated pos tion against being vihrated'out' d'f' ies eie vated position so as to break ,contact be tween the plug and the socke't." When the the form shown in Figure 5,!Zl168211118 springmechanism for holding the lamp hracketpinn the recess and in. its elevated, position o-utofi the recess, is shown.

\Vhcn the lamp bracket 7 is folded from. the dotted line position tothe-full line position ,Figure 5, the mercury in the mercury tube 27 runs to the lower end of the tube and closes the circuit to the lamp. YV-hcn-thebracket is folded into the 'reccss,z the moncury flows to the opposite end-of the tube and breaks the circuit.

In the operation of anyfo rm of my invention,'the fold ng arm rest is folded downs wardly into a positionover theseatbottom, and the lamp bracket 7 foldedyupwardly.

The arm rest may if desired be folded back. into a position closing the recess. .Vlfh'ernthe lamp is not in use,,it is folded back intothe recess, and the recess again closed; by the folding arm rest At all times, the-folding arm rest can be used in the usual manner? without. using the lamp.

lVl'iat I claim is: i

1. In a seat comprising a seat bottom and a hack, the hack being formed with a recess, a lamp located in the recess and movable upwardly out of the recess, and a closure for the recess normally arranged with its outer face flush with the outer face of the remainder of the back, said closure being movable downwardly onto the seat bottom to form an arm rest.

In a seat comprising a seat bottom and a hack, back being formed with-a recess, an electric lamp and support therefor mounted in the recess, the support being movable to lamp upwardly out of the recess, a n open electric switch operable to closethe circuit through the lamp when the lamp support is swung out of the recess, and to open said circuit when the lamp and its support 15 moved into the recess, and a folding arm rest forming a closure for the recess,"

saidrest l eing pivoted at its lower end to an; haok hndggncfij nally arrarrgea fiush with the remainder of the back, and movable on its pivot into a position overlying the seat "hot-tom. l

@seat icomprisin-gwi seat bottom, and a back, theback being formed with a recess, a

" lanipan'd "earner" therefor located in the re-.

ly.. i re rps it ei r In testimony; whereof, have. hereunto g ed my; nam s-1a; yr use, in th r unty of Onondaga, endsmt iei; N Y h 

